Child Guardianship Elections

Take the Extra Step to Protect Your Children

One of the most common reasons people begin estate planning is to set their children up for success in their absence. This is especially true for parents of minor children or children with special needs. If you fall into this category, your estate plan must begin with ensuring your children will be taken care of by the right people, and that the finances will be in place to support them as they grow. At The Law Office of Anna L. Burr, one of our biggest priorities is ensuring that parents of young children have set up planning that ensures their appropriate care and well-being.

While every parent plans to be able to raise their children themselves, the truth is that accidents can happen, and if it does, you want to know that your children will be safe. Implementing advance planning can help ensure a seamless transition for your children in case of a tragedy. What they would need at that time is security and continuity – proper planning will help make that happen. Here are a few things to think about when considering guardianship planning for your children:

• Who to Appoint. This is rarely an easy decision, but more often than not, any decision is better than nothing. Consider people who share your same values and will raise your children similar to how you raise them and make decisions for their benefit;
• Where everyone lives. If your closest relative lives in a different state, temporary guardians may be necessary to ensure security for your children while long-term arrangements are being made. We can help with those documents to ease the transition for your children;
• Who you’ve Spoken to. Asking someone to be your child’s guardian is a major and necessary step in this process. It’s vitally important that the people you would nominate are in agreement with your choice and feel equipped to take on that responsibility;
• Financial Security. You also want to ensure your chosen guardian has the financial resources to raise your children on your behalf. Beyond that, you don’t want your assets tied up in probate when they are needed right away. An appropriate trust with the right people named as trustees can offer peace of mind that your kids will be financially supported as well.

Yes, these are tough conversations to have. They are also necessary in order to create a complete estate plan that fully protects you and your loved ones.

Contact The Law Office of Anna L. Burr

To get started with your estate plan including Guardianship nominations, contact us. Think of it as the first step to ensuring your kids are safe and secure, no matter what.